(1) Field of the Invention
An apparatus and method for producing and maintaining a batch of high purity water of a quality suitable for delicate laboratory analysis work by electromagnetic radiation in the 185 nanometer wavelength range.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Refinements in chemical analysis such as in chromatography have resulted in improved techniques which make possible identification of trace components in test samples to as small as a few parts per billion. Such refinements make even traces of organic materials in distilled water used in such analyses undesirable and a possible cause for distortion of analytic results. Analytical distortions may also be caused by variations in temperature, or the presence of air bubbles in the water used in the tests.
To meet this need for high quality water, specially prepared distilled water in carefully sealed containers has become commercially available at prices much higher than that of conventionally prepared distilled water. However, because the laboratory need at any given time is for only a small fraction of the distilled water in the sealed container, the contents after such first fractional use has a very short life for analytical purposes because of organic build-up in the remaining contents.